Hollywood actors have rightfully hit out at the cancellation of the comedy film "The Interview," viewing the move as a cowardly and defeatist act that went against what most of us in the civilised world (should) treasure: freedom of expression. The actor Rob Lowe cleverly compared the film cancellation to Neville Chamberlain's policy of appeasement with Adolf Hitler's in 1938.

It all started when the Guardians of Peace exposed frightful emails stored on Sony computers, which provoked an investigation that led to the following official conclusion by US officials and North Korean defectors who now live safely in South Korea for the time being: Kim Jong-un runs a hacking group known as Unit 121, which is part of a spy agency called the General Bureau of Reconnaissance, and they threatened to carry out terror attacks on cinemas. Cyber, as averred by Kim Jong-un's enemies, is his "secret war" weapon. Out of shame, Sony is now backtracking and placing the blame on cinemas for the cowardly move. North Korea, unsurprisingly, denies the hack but defends the cancellation of "The Interview."

Now, if you don't know what North Korea is really like, allow me to enlighten you. North Korea is a slave state, a gulag nation where its people are the property of the militarised Kim family, and where a totalitarian "military-first" mobilisation has been ratified. Once the trade between this government and the former Soviet Union came to an end, North Korea lost an untold number of people to sheer starvation. Today, their children are stunted and malformed; many people are blind (one of the highest number of cases in the world); and North Koreans are, on average, 6 inches shorter than their Southern neighbours.

Christopher Hitchens, one of my most cherished authors and once a great journalist, visited North Korea and witnessed people drinking from sewers and picking up individual grains of food from barren fields. Hitchens himself, as a "privileged guest" who was observed during his stay, was made to eat a dog. The Hitch (his nickname) once suspected that Kim Il Sung had got hold of a copy of George Orwell's "Nineteen Eighty-Four" and used it as a blueprint to establish the North Korean dystopia. But the reality is even worse than the hell depicted in Orwell's novel as the capital city Pyongyang does not even permit its citizens to wander in the slums. Everyone has to be at home and in bed by curfew time. At nighttime, as seen from space, the Korean peninsula is brilliantly lit in the south, but a sinister darkness in the north where a Stalinistic atmosphere prevails.

The ingratitude of the North Korea state is highlighted by Hitchens in his 2010 essay to the Slate magazine, entitled, "North Korea: A Nation of Racist Dwarves," as an affixation to the description of anti-American propaganda that resides there: "The United States and its partners make up in aid for the huge shortfall in North Korea's food production, but there is not a hint of acknowledgement of this by the authorities, who tell their captive subjects that the bags of grain stencilled with the Stars and Stripes are tribute paid by a frightened America to the Dear Leader."

Dr. Sanduk Ruit, a Nepali surgeon, led his team to North Korea on a humanitarian mission to cure blindness. After surgery, scores of people were told to remove their blinds to see if the operation had been successful. Ruit had indeed been successful in restoring their eyesight but the patients remained blind in an abstract but nevertheless significant way. They were only grateful to their leader, who, in their eyes, had made their treatment possible - ironically unaware that his inherited and applied regimentation had been the main cause of their ills and that he himself had made the surgeons entry into the country difficult.

The prevalent racist mentality as inculcated by the "Great Leader" is that Koreans should remain racially pure and refrain from becoming mongrelised like their southern counterparts who have already mixed with Americans of all races. Racism and xenophobia is undeniably part of the ideology that is instilled there. So much so that repatriated North Korean women who return pregnant from China - the regime's main ally and protector - are forced to submit to abortions.

Watch out for this branch of the axis of evil that threatens the civilised world of democracy and freedom. North Korea won't hesitate to support jihadists and any other sworn enemy of the US and its allies. President Obama seems to have grown balls against Kim Jong-un, but he must tread carefully. I wonder what his chilling plans for retaliation are and I hope that they are effective in disarming North Korea once and for all. Perhaps a coup d'etat is in order, giving the CIA a chance to redeem itself in the eyes of a naively liberal world.

"Empty cognizance of one taste, suffused with knowing, is your unmistaken nature, the uncontrived original state. when not altering what is, allow it to be as it is, and the awakened state is right now spontaneously present."

I guess they don't have late night talk shows in North Korea. Or the Daily Show which keeps showing that picture of Kim next to a vat of lube in a factory. He sure seems to love his lube! And where were they when "Team America: World Police" came out years ago. I guess they didn't have computer hacking technology back then. Then again, that was his father and maybe he had a sense of humor.

Something doesn't add up. Why now all of a sudden?Maybe Dennis Rodman knows....

But enough about "The Interview", and back to your article. North Korea is certainly an interesting social experiment that proves how easily humans can be manipulated and programmed. They mostly just stay closed off and most don't know what is happening behind their borders, but if they start to mess around with the rest of the world then it's about time humanitarians got in there and saved everyone. But the thing is, they don't want to be saved, and are so deep in their delusions many North Koreans are actually 'happy'. Even the starving and the blind think it's God's will, and by God I mean their supreme leader who was born under a rainbow in a unicorn's lair.

Sony has not only exposed its innate cowardice, but also exposed the nature of the West's regression from democratic ideals into nonchalant liberalism and political correctness. Why should we censor ourselves? Everything should be free to say, but people should be aware of the repercussions involved with saying that thing. Perhaps they should put a sign on the cinema door saying, "Watch at your own risk." Then we'll see if the people really have the guts to stand by what they believe in. (I wouldn't go see the film anyway--it didn't look very entertaining.)

You cannot back down every time some bully makes a remote, vague threat, or else what have we come to? We let monsters enforce their will upon nonconsensual subjugates--we let them not only micromanage North Korea, but the entire world. We should be openly and indiscriminately and blatantly ridiculing, satirizing, and plain old mocking such things as the North Korean totalitarian regime. It is the scum of humanity, and proof that--politically--we still have to wage war upon Big Brothers. We cede the terrorists victory if we flinch and cower before they even publicly say or do anything.

Guitar48300 wrote:If he's that easily butthurt by a movie, I wonder what Kim Jong Un would do if he ever saw all the internet memes with cake jokes, and other jokes that makes him look like a whiny fat moron.

At least the Internet isn't afraid to make fun of him

Kim Jong-un won't even admit his involvement but he is certainly testing the waters. He also seems to be even more conceited than his father. To his people, he is the reincarnation of the father. There is only one Supreme Leader for all time there. He literally is the Father, the Son, and the Holy spirit. He is God and his devout followers certainly express a kind of religious fervour that couldn't be any more emotionally exaggerated.

HAGART wrote:I guess they don't have late night talk shows in North Korea.

Are you kidding? Only the Dear Leader is privy to the artistic spoils or entertaining dividends that are supposedly paid to North Korea by the external world in appeasement. Kim Jong-un will only feed lies in the form of literature and dictation he authored, relevant propaganda that helps to maintain his power and credibility, and his image that he demands be incessantly worshipped. He has established his own death cult.

HAGART wrote:where were they when "Team America: World Police" came out years ago. I guess they didn't have computer hacking technology back then. Then again, that was his father and maybe he had a sense of humor.

Something doesn't add up. Why now all of a sudden?Maybe Dennis Rodman knows....

LOL! Yeah, the father probably trod carefully or perhaps he wanted to give the impression that at least he had a sense of humour. Or silence was his attempt to give the rest of the world the impression that he was the bigger man. Who knows! Conspiracy theorists would say the hackers work for the US government to remind us that the United states is heaven compared to certain dictatorships elsewhere. The president may even want to look good (in the sense that he won't take any shit) after the Syrian civil war fiasco where Islamists were allowed to take advantage of the chaos. See "Religion and Politics: Iraqi Crisis":

As for Dennis Rodman... What a disgrace! What was he thinking? He says his friend is a great leader like his father and that he is just a normal guy. Really?! Why be Kim Jong-un's sidekick and help him to reinforce his anti-American propaganda? So what if Kim Jong-un is a fan of Chicago Bulls? This friendship is still convenient for him as he wants to show his people that an American agrees with him, fears him, and does not see him as a vile dictator at all.

HAGART wrote:North Korea is certainly an interesting social experiment that proves how easily humans can be manipulated and programmed. They mostly just stay closed off and most don't know what is happening behind their borders, but if they start to mess around with the rest of the world then it's about time humanitarians got in there and saved everyone. But the thing is, they don't want to be saved, and are so deep in their delusions many North Koreans are actually 'happy'. Even the starving and the blind think it's God's will, and by God I mean their supreme leader who was born under a rainbow in a unicorn's lair.

Yes, Kim Jong-un is using a meme that is very prevalent and has the potential to survive for millennia if "rationally" maintained: the religious one. He plays the role of Yahweh, the Machiavellian leader, the one to be worshipped, feared and loved. Sadomasochism has been established as the norm and the best that a serf can get. The Dear Leader knows better for he is great and above everyone. He is also the saviour and protector of the nation.

deschainXIX wrote:Perhaps they should put a sign on the cinema door saying, "Watch at your own risk." Then we'll see if the people really have the guts to stand by what they believe in. (I wouldn't go see the film anyway--it didn't look very entertaining.)

That would have been more dignified. Like tobacco! Smoke at your peril but it is your right. I don't believe in censorship of any kind. Human nature should be exposed and understood. Only then can be have civilised discourses about what is right and wrong. People should also be willing to die for freedom. I'd rather die than live in planet North Korea.

"O'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave."More like the home of the whimpering cowards.

Tell me about it!

"Empty cognizance of one taste, suffused with knowing, is your unmistaken nature, the uncontrived original state. when not altering what is, allow it to be as it is, and the awakened state is right now spontaneously present."

Guys, have you heard the latest from Barack Obama? The threat was not an act of war despite the assertion that North Korea is connected to the hacking unit. He is calling it an act of cyber-vandalism! Hmmm... Reminds me of the bogus and convenient "war on terrorism" which was really a war on jihadists and radical Islam after 9/11.

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"Empty cognizance of one taste, suffused with knowing, is your unmistaken nature, the uncontrived original state. when not altering what is, allow it to be as it is, and the awakened state is right now spontaneously present."

North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un surely suffers from megalomania, and he cares infinitely more about reckless, ruthless displays of his power than he does about the welfare of his people.

His terrorist threats against America and computer attack against Sony are reprehensible. However, I think Sony officials should have predicted that the comedy movie "The Interview", which involves a plot to assassinate Kim Jong-un, would certainly trigger huge threats and damage attempts from this unhinged despot.

Regarding the decision by Sony and movie theater chains to cancel showings of this controversial movie, I do not really think this is an act of cowardice. The memory of the mass shooting at the movie theater in Aurora, Colorado in 2012 is still fresh in many people's minds. I don't know if there are any North Korean secret agents who could cause movie theater mayhem in the U.S. However, I have no doubt whatsoever that our country has a disturbing number of "home-grown" dangerous nuts who heard the news about the terrorist threat from North Korea, and who immediately began to have fantasies about themselves going out and shooting up a movie theater full of people, in order to inflict paranoid "revenge against the world" and become famous in the process.

Perhaps Sony will release "The Interview" movie on DVD or other digital format. Under the present crazy circumstances, this would seem, to me, to be a safer choice.

There are many copycat killers out there, and perhaps pulling the movie was not cowardice, but the responsible thing to do.

It's a shame though. I agree with DeschainXIX that I wouldn't watch it anyway in the theater because it's not high on my list of things to watch, and didn't care much for Pineapple Express, but I don't like censorship and terrorism and wish others could watch it in peace if they so choose.

Then again, after all this publicity I want to watch it now!How do you defeat terrorism? You stop being afraid. If that movie became a #1 blockbuster of all time that would send a strong message wouldn't it?

"Terrorism" is such a broad term though and seems to be only synonymous with Jihadists. But America fails to realize they have their own home-grown terrorist group with plans to build a weapon of mass destruction in the form of a Death Ray. They are a terrorist group that goes by the name, Klu Klux Klan.